Welcome to Gaia! ::

Aubrey made her way there after she clocked out from the labs. She had been avoiding Moreau all day... but the fact that he hadn't approached her bode well for him having seen anything. The little package of coke that Antony gave her was locked away in her desk drawer next to Billy's earring. She promised Billy she would confront Moreau about that...and she intended to. Just not yet. There was too much going on in her head just yet to feel like she could face Moreau with steady footing.

She took the Jeep to right outside the village and dropped off a basket of basked cookies on Colche's doorstep. The armed guard was ever-present with her in the village, but when she instructed the Jeep pull over near the river, she insisted he stay in the car. She was fairy certain the Jeep was out of range, but like all major pieces of equipment there was a GPS tracker on it that Moreau could check up on later. She walked the rest of the way, finally slipping under the waterfall, trying to keep as dry as possible. But of course the rocks were slick, the air was damp, and the spray from the fall had her thoroughly damp in a matter of minutes. She paced in the small cover, huddling her labcoat around her.

It was a long while after the appointed time befor there was sudden movement in the water under the falls, and several somethings slithered over some of the lower slick rocks, "Wha' d'ye want?"

Aubrey jumped as Billy made his appearance. She had been considering leaving for a while, but was enjoying being in a place she felt alone. She new the camera's didn't reach here... subjects coming out this far would activate the GPS tracking in the monitor room. Not a big security risk unless there was a congregation.

"Good god!" she exclaimed, getting her breath back. "There you are." She looked him over for a moment, trying to assess his mental state. "I... I figured you might want to talk. They can't hear you here, you know?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. "You were pretty strung out yesterday... I just wanted to make sure what you said was the truth before I confront Moreau."

He pulled himself up onto the rock, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible as he glared at her quietly, "I migh' be a bloody mad druggy, bu' I wasn' lyin'. S'too good a truth t'be fuddled wit' a lie."

Aubrey frowned, a small part of her hoping it had been a drugged up illusion. "Oh," she said quietly, looking disappointed. "I just had to be sure..."

She twirled a strand of hair around a finger nervously. "Well.. that aside... anything you want.. to say? I mean... I know you don't want to believe me but I wish there was some way I could... help you some how."

At that, he gave a chuckle, pulling out the ziplock bag he had found to keep his cigarettes dry while he swam, digging one out, "Ye coul' find a way t'make me human again. An' get me off this rock. Maybe import me Ex an' turn her into a turtle."

"Realistically..." she frowned, shaking her head. She should have seen that coming. "Its more complicated than just slipping you an antidote and hiding you away in the cargo."

She tapped a finger to her lips. "Though the third... that's a distinct possibility."

She stopped the moment she said that and blinked. Did she really just say that? No no, she wasn't like that. This was not a place of revenge for her. She wouldn't stoop to that.

He laughed outright when she seemed to humor him, "Bloody brilliant!"

Aubrey waved her hands. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm not like that."

"Aw, snap." He feigned dissapointment, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

Aubrey peered over at him, the curiosity getting the better of her. "What's her name?"

His eyes twitched over her, brows furrowed as he debated whether or not he should tell her. Finally, he caved. Why not? "Edel."

"Nice name. I'd need more than that, though."

"Ye'd really go an' find her an' bring 'er here?" His mouth twitched into a grin.

Aubrey sighed and gave a defeated shrug. "I could flag her name and our sources would let me know in their reports if she came up. Its not just as simple as plucking someone from their home, you know."

"Especially someone li' her," He grunted, "Bloody power hungry b***h. S'nice though', though."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow gave a small snort. "Would you really want her here because if revenge, or so you'd be around her?" She did her best to make not sound like she was jealous.

He shook his head, "Woul'n' matter anyway. It was all a joke on me anyway, wasn' it?"

"What? Getting Edel here?" She shrugged and shook her head. "Its a big bad world out there, but do really think all of Moreau's enemies end up here on accident?"

"No, I meant-" He shook his head, waving a tentacle-like hand, "Ne'er mind."

"No... what did you mean?" She crossed her arms, curious.

He fell silent for a few moments befor tossing the cigarette intot he water, "So that all y'wanted t'know? If I was serious yesterday or no?"

Aubrey gave an annoyed huff as he ignored her question. "No, thats not all. I mean, that was something I wanted from you. I wanted to know if there was anything you wanted from me. Dammit, Billy.. I'm trying to be your friend here!"

"An' look at how far tha's gotten me thus far."

Aubrey thew up her hands, frustrated. "Fine. I should have seen that coming. You know I have a lot on the line here, too. You're not the only one who has been giving a no contact mandate!"

"So wha', y'want me t'sit an' pour out me heart an' soul abou' me ex fiance?" He growled irritably.

"I didn't say that! You're the one who even brought her up in the first place! I just wanted to talk." She sighed irritably back at him, then backpedaled. "Wait... fiance?"

His skin started to blotch red as he turned, ready to slip back into the water.

"I'm sorry!" she said quickly, holding up a hand, not wanting him to leave. "I just.. its surprising is all."

"Suprisin' I coul'a' had a normal life b'fer all o' this?" He snarled.

"I just.. don't see you as a get down on one knee, forever and forever amen kind of guy." She decided to sit down and relax, leaning back against the wall of the small cove. "I.. I don't mean that as a bad thing. Its a nice, thought, really. Just makes me wonder what it would have been like to know you... before all this."

"Don' t'ink y'woul' ha' liked me," He resettled, fidgeting a bit with his many limbs befor pulling out a fresh smoke and his matches. "An' it wasn' like she loved me or nothin'."

Aubrey balanced her elbow on her knee and rested her head on it. "Why not?" She gave him a sympathetic look. "Then why was she your fiancé? Or is that the obvious reason for the 'ex" part?"

"She wanted me t'do somethin' fer her. An' used her bloody feminan wiles fer it," He answered simply.

"Ah..." Aubrey didn't really know what to say to that. She had never thought herself as very feminine, so she had never, really tried to pull the 'feminine whiles' card to get something out someone. Well, perhaps she had tried... but only on Moreau. And that never worked.. until they were already an item..

She shook her head, getting lost in her own thoughts. "I'm sorry abour that, then. That's not fair to you at all. No matter what."

He gave a sharp laugh, "S'her fault I'm here, I suppose. I'm sure y'know all aboo' tha' from me handy dandy file, eh?"

"Actually Moreau handled your arrival on his lonesome. There's very little background into in there. Just a splattering of medical records and a few legal documents."

"Then y'don' know wha' I did?" He glanced up, honestly suprised.

She made a so-so motion with her hands. "I know you were running from the police. And killed a cop in the process. That's why you were so desperate to get away and hide out."

"I was desperate t'get away an' hide out on account o' bein' wanted fer murder back home."

Aubrey couldn't shake the kinda of creepy feeling... realizing that not only was she talking to a murder, but doing so rather casually. She scratched her neck in a sudden fit on nervous energy. She didn't know what to say for a moment, then a few puzzle peices fell together in her head. "Ohmy.. that wasn't what Edel wanted you to do...was it?"

He gave a sharp laugh, "Apparently she wasn' as much of a Daddy's gel as people believed."

Dispite his laughter, Aubrey looked on the verge of horrified. "That's unforgivable." She looked down and messed with the hem of her sleeve. "You have to really love someone to be willing to kill for them."

"I woul' ha' done anything fer her," He answered gruffly, "Th'problem was, she knew it."

"I know the feeling," Aubrey mumbled, averting her eyes. She gave a small disgruntled huff before chancing a glance back up to Billy. "I'm sorry."

"No y'aint," He took another drag of his cigarette, tentacles coiling into a more comfortable position on the rock. "If it wasn' fer her, y'woul'n have me aroun' t'feck wit'."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't flatter yourself. Jesus. Believe it or not, I do a lot more with my life than finds ways to mess with you."

"Like wha'?"

Aubrey shook her head, not wanting to fall in that trap. "For one, I have a whole mess of other people I could mess with besides you," she lightly teased.

"Aye, bu' do ye' got jars filled wit' bits o' them on yer desk?" He gave her a wink.

Aubrey chuckled, but a red flush came over her cheeks whether she realized it or not. "No, I can't say that I have."

"So yer sayin' I'm no' yer favorite pet?" He feined looking hurt and disapointed.

"I never said that," she consoled, her mouth turning up in a small smirk. "I just meant if you weren't here I'm sure I would have found," she sighed out the next word overdramatically, "someone to replace you and I would have never found out what I was missing."

"So I am yer favorite pet," He gave her an ink-stained grin.

"Maybe," she suggested with a scandalous smirk. "You certainly keep me on my toes the most."

"So wha', gonna' keep me in a fishtank in yer office once I'm all done?"

"No no, I think you'd be much happier frolicking in the wild with your little friends," she said, motioning in the general direction of the village. "But no promises about Moreau. Something tells me that idea might actually appeal to him. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and all that."

Billy grunted, shaking his head. He couldn't help the shiver that ran down his back, "So it will get worse'n... this?" He gesticulated to his many limbs, taking a last drag of his smoke befor tossing it into the river. "Shoul' I be glad I don' got gills?"

Aubrey pulled her knees up to her chest, her smile fading quickly. "Well, worse in the fact that yes, you're not done with your changes. But better in the fact that you shouldn't be so... awkward when its all said and done. You should be fully mobile and more control over your ink and stuff."

"Well, aint tha' a bloody relief. Will I still be a bloody human mood-ring?" Even though he had had access to books and resources and the like, Billy still refused to do research on the creature he was becoming. Octopi were as foreign and mysterious to him as the swiss alps were to an american house cat.

"Most likely. Octopi change colors depending on their moods. But they're also the world's greatest camouflagers. Make chameleons look like amateurs. I'm sure you could find some devious use for that."

At that, his brows raised again, "Is tha' what it is, now?"

Aubrey nodded. "Maybe this all wouldn't be as scarey if you did a little bit of research. At least you could prepare yourself for some of the things that may happen."

"I've seen pictures o' octopusses. Don' think I *want* t'know wha's gonna happen t'me," He grunted, giving a nervious sniff. "By an' by... the... bag y'took from me yesterday..."

Aubrey opened her mouth to argue, but then stopped and gave a dissapointed sigh when the drugs were brought up. "You're incorrigible."

"Ye lot work hard t'keep me miserable, y'know tha'?" He sneared, starting to slip back into the water, tentacles reaching for the rocks where she was sitting.

"The drugs aren't helping, you know? Its what's pushing you from being unhappy about your situation to down right suicidal!"

"I coul' argue tha' point!"

"Fine. Get clean and sober - for real - past the point of withdrawel and then we'll argue about it."

"I'm clean now! I'm sober now! Was hungover all morning, but I'm feelin' better!"

"Being sober for a few hours is hardly the same thing as being really clean," she chastised. "And anyway, see how much better it makes your attitude?"

"Aye, I hate meself more," He snarled.

Aubrey rubbed her temples. "I think if you gave people an honest chance you'd fine that you could have some really great friends."

"Ach, aye, like tha' sniveling green man tha' tried t'clean me windows the other day? Oh, aye, les' all hold hands an' skip aboo' merry-like as we're mutated into freaks t'gether!"

"Whatever," she said, holding up her hands in defeat. "I'm tired of arguing this with you. Everyone else has managed, so why can't you?"

"Because I'm a randy b*****d who's tired o' bein' used. I want some control back in me life, is tha' too much t'ask?"*

"I find a guy as addicted on drugs as you are talking about control to be highly ironic."

"It's me CHOICE t'be addicted to drugs, thank ye'!"

"Not anymore it isn't! That's what addiction is." God, she felt like a DARE officer. "Look, I'm sorry but you're not going to get your drugs back. Find a new hobby or something. One that won't interfere as much with our research." She didn't really know if she even meant what she said anymore. It sounded tired and rehearsed by now.

"Obviously it don' interfere with th'research if th'top dog himself is supplyin' me, eh?"

"That has nothing to do with research, just Moreau's posessiveness."

"Bu' it proves me point aboo' perogitives!"

"Not really. Moreau may be willing to throw away all legitimate scientific research in order to dope you to impotence but I'm not. I still have some power around here, dammit." She looked highly aggitated as the subject was breached again, her voice much higher than it had been a few moments before.

"Impotence! Yer talkin' t'me aboo' IMPOTENCE after cuttin' off me damn TESTICAL!" He laughed sharply.

"Oh please, you can function to your full capacity and you know it." She averted her eyes and tried to shrug it off nonchalantly.

"Fine. Fine I'll go find some glue t'sniff," He huffed, pulling back away from her again into the water.

"Leaving already?" she asked a little too quickly, sitting up straight.

"We're jes' arguin', an' I aint gettin' anythin' out o' this, am I?" He grumbled, glancing up at her.

Aubrey cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I'll drop it for now, okay. I just wish you'd give it a try. Why can't you smoke dope like everyone else here?" She shook her head quickly. "Nevermind, I said I would drop it. "And as for 'getting' anything out of it, I thought that maybe you'd just want to .. talk, or something. You seemed to have a lot of your mind yesterday." She gave him a pointed look.

"Always got a lot on me mind," He huffed, resettling to coil his tentacles over the rocks near her, content to float for just then. "I hate meself an' the blow makes me *no*hate meself. There, that a good argument? An' let me tell y'somethin' aboo' Coke vs. Dope. Th'ferst brings y'UP. Pumps y'up. Get's y'goin'. Th'other bogs y'down, slows y'down, y'understand?"*

"But drugs is only masking the problem, not fixing it!" She sighed and waved her hands helplessly. "Whatever, fine. I'll think about it, okay?"

"I aint sayin' there's anythin' wrong wit' dope, mind ye," He muttered, strategically ignoring her argument.

"Noted," she said tiredly, looking over him floating in the water. She rested her chin on her knees in defeat.

"Why are y'doin' this, anyway?" He suddenly spoke up.

"Becuase you seemed so convinced no one gave a 'feck' about you, so I figured you might appreciate it. Becuase I wanted to. Was I wrong?"

"I mean th'island. Th'whole... turnin' people into monsters thing."

Aubrey's face paled, not expecting a bomb like that one. "Oh." She glanced down at her left hand, using her thumb to twirl ring around her finger. "Isn't it obvious?"

His eyes flickered to the ring and then back up to her face befor he gave a short laugh, "Ye don' got control o'er yer own life either, do ye?"

Aubrey forced a small smile, "I don't know anymore," she said quietly.

"Th'factwe're sittin' behind a waterfall jes' t'have a chat's proof enough o' tha', aint it? Is tha' worth tha' shiny there on yer finger?"

"I love him," she said, though it was said more because it was the right thing to say rather than a statement hat had any true belief behind it. At least that's what it would have seemed like. "You were willing to commit murder for someone, you have to be able to understand."

"Aye... bu' I'm a dumb man pulled around by me c**k. Fill me up with enough fizzy, an' I'm on top o' th'world wit' a pair o' tits an' a round arse tellin' me wha' t'do. Y'really want t'compair yerself wit' th'likes o' me?"

"You've never seemed too happy with me telling you what to do." She was too obvious not to go for it, and a lame attempt to lighten up a topic that very quickly became dark and unsettling for Aubrey, but it fell flat. She cleared her throat and continued. "I think why the circumstances between us might have been different, there's a lot of overlapping concepts."

"Aye, bu' y'aint sleepin' with me, are ye? There's th'difference there."

"Oh, I see...thats the catch," she let her eyes drop over Billy again, then shook her head.

"So y'love him," He nodded, "Good reason. Good reason. Can'tsee why, personally, bu' I suppose that's whacha' get, eh?"

"No one understands." she said, disgruntled. "None of you guys, not my parents..." she huffed. "Guess you had to be there. I've known him since I was a freshman in highschool."

"Yer right. I don' understand. Obviously, ye've seen a side o' him tha's not a cold, calculatin', manipulative b*****d. Y'sure he aint jes' marrying ye t'get something out o' it?"

"Get something out of me?" She gave a snort. "I couldn't fathom what he would want out of me that would require marrying me."

"Maybe b'cause he couln' find another who'd be gullible enough t'love him despite th'fact he's a feckin' nutter?"

"You know what's funny... Duvert warned me he would pop the question in order to smooth over some huge argument. I didn't even realize he was right until well after I accepted." She shook her head sadly. "I wonder how long he would have waited otherwise. If at all."

"He seems as much o' th'type t'marry as me," Billy laughed, swimming back and forth along the rocks lazily. "So he wanted somethin' out o' the marriage, aye? An' it wasn't you."

"We wanted me back," she said with a shrug. "He learned the hard way that if he was going to push me away..." she stopped and smirked. "Well, he realized I could be lost to him, in more ways than one. Both driven into the arms of another man and nearly killed in the same night. Lucky me." She learned forward a bit. "That's... almost romantic, right?"

"Or he wanted t'tighten th'leash on ye. Control, lass, tha's all this proposal is. No' love."

Aubrey sneered. "Sadly you're not the first peron to tell me that."

"There y'have it, there it is!"

Aubrey tossed her damping (and frizzing) hair out of her face. "Look, I now he might not exactly be Don Jaun, but he does love me. Just in his own...way. Like everything else in his life. He's hardly conventional."

"Woul' he do anythin' fer ye?"

The heavy pause was answer enough. "There's more to love than just that," she finally said after a moment of deliberation.

"Give an' take, lass. Wha's he give tha' aint material, eh? An' how much does he take?" Billy was grinning.

Aubrey just watched him for a good few moments, the gears turning in her head, obviously thinking carefully how to respond. "You're more perceptive than you let on, you know that?" she finally said, sidestepping.

His grin widened, noting her evasion, "There's a reason I was able t'do wha' I did, and be good at it. More'n jes' a condom o' blow shoved up me arse in an airplane."

"I suppose so. My bad for underestimating you I guess."

"I think yer underestimating a lot o' things, lass."

"Am I?" She quirked an eyebrow, pondering over what he was referring to. "Enlighten me."

"Or at least misestimating."

Aubrey gave a small chuckle. "I'm a scientist. There's a good reason I feel much more comfortable around hard numbers and facts."

"Fact. Yer fiance's crazier than I am. Fact. When was th'last time he showed y'*real* effection? No' jes' bribin' ye with shinies and promises?"

"Actually he's been very sweet to me since I woke up," she said in 'now you know' tone. She paused and twisted her fingers a bit. "I mean, he's busy, like always. But he's not... cold to me. We just have a professional air we have to present when we're working."

"Ye've known him since highschool, an' now tha' ye've woken up he's been nice. Wha' aboo' befer?" he raised an eyebrow, "Obviously no' or ye' wouldn' ha' come runnin' t'me, now would ye?"

She gave an exasperated sigh. "We had just had a fight. A BIG fight. We said we needed to just keep things professional." She chanced a glance at him. "Anyway, what happened.. that's wasn't my intention for coming over."

"An' wha' was yer intention?"

She huffed, flustered, like she always did when this was brought up. "To get out of the labs mostly."

"T'get out o' th'labs. No' t'see me." He looked dissapointed.

"Well I didn't say that...I just wasn't expecting.." she motioned hesitantly with her hands "what happened to happen."

"An' wha' where y'expectin' t'happen, then?"

"I don't know." She hid her face a bit with her hands. "I just... I thought that maybe coming down to pick a fight with you would distract me. I don't think I had any idea what was, or wasn't, going to happen. I think that's why I went..because I didn't know what to expect."

Billy nodded, looking away from her. "So yer hubby really is bein' silly wit' all this over-protective crap, aint he?"

Aubrey regarded him carefully. "Is he?" She learned forward again. "Demanded me to stay away from you I can understand. To be honest I'm rather surprised he was willing to bargain with you. Moreau doesn't ... barter, usually."

"Oh, he bardered. Tha' vicodin he gave me mixed wit' them crazy pills o' tha' other doctor's wha' sent me over th'edge. Don' know if y'heard aboo' me gettin' sick," He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I heard," she said, almost sadly. "I was watching from afar."

"He kicked me out, y'know. I was livin' in th'lake for a good couple weeks."

"I know," she said, frowning still. "Punishment for coming to see me. I confronted him about that..."

"He's a real nice guy, yer fiance. I hope yer happy t'gether. Birth a million mutant babies an' all tha'."

Aubrey was surprised in the sudden turn in maturity level. Though she shouldn't have been. "Hey now, don't resort to petty insults. ********, you could almost take his insane jealousy as a compliment."

"Aye," He huffed, "So y'don' really got no feelin's fer me, then? It was all jes' spurr o' th'moment."

Aubrey faltered. "I...." Wow, that came out of left field. "I mean you... I- I'm getting ma-" she shook her head. "Oh what? Like you wanted anything with me but to get back at Moreau!"

He shrugged, "Then we're both on th'same page, then."

Aubrey just shook her head, confused. She reached up to rub her temples. "Oh god, what's happening here?"

"I don' know. You tell me."

"I... " she shook her head, trying to find the words. "Yeah, I have feelings for you, I guess. I mean, we're friends... right? At least I'm trying...."

He gave a chuckle, "Friends. Aye. Right."

"Well, what about you, hm?"

"What aboo' me?"

Aubrey knew she shouldn't ask... because no matter he said would open up one can of worms or another. "What do you feel about me?"

"Tha' don' really matter, now does it?"

Aubrey shifted, crossing her arms. "Why the hell not?"

"Yer' gettin' married. An' I'm turnin' into a fish."

"Billy I.... " she fished for words for a moment, and failed. "I guess I don't know what to say to that."

"Shouln' y'be goin'? Don' want hubby gettin' pissed an' cuttin' off me other ball fer lookin' at ye." He swam backwards, heading towards the falls again.

Aubrey sprang from her sitting position, slidong over the rocks and attempting grab him by the shoulder.

His skin was slippery and gross in the water, her grip sliding down from his shoulder to a tentacle that instinctively wound around her, "Gerroff!" He growled.

"Please don't leave like this. He doesn't know I'm here, I promise!" She tried to pull her arm back towards her with Billy attatched. "He doesn't have to know..."

He didn't let go, frowning up at her with pursed lips and narrowed eyes.

"We're pretty ******** up, aren't we?" she laughed out nervously, looking down at him. For a moment she looked like she was going to try and pull away, but in a split second she changed her mind and learned quickly forward, pressing her lips to his, though rather haphazardly.

He flinched in suprise at first, but after the initial contact, he kissed back. His tentacles snaked up around her legs and waist in an attempt to use her to pull himself up out of the water a bit- no one could embrace quite like an octopus.

She held the kiss for a moment before gently pulling away. "Hey, you didn't throw up on me this time..." she whispered out with a smile.

"I don' th'ink I'm changin' this time," He said in a deep voice, his tentacle-grip keeping her from going far. He brushed her hair from her face with an octopussian hand, climbing from the water while using her as a support.

Why had she done that? Why? It made no sense. She was already skating on thin ice by even being there. Now she just cracked right though and was treading freezing water. She was shaking and everything. She watched Billy carefully as he slowly climbed up her and out of the water.

The tips of their noses were touching, his wet hair stuck to his face as his inhuman eyes remained locked with her's. They were a lot alike, Aubrey and Edel... a lot alike... but Aubrey was different. Different in a good way. He turned his head, lips pressing against her neck, his beard scratching at her skin as he pulled her against him, "He don' have t'know..."

Aubrey let a sigh escape as she turned her neck a bit to allow him better access. "But you realize what might happen, to both of us, if he found out somehow..."

"He won' find out," The tentacles wandered, and so did his lips, finding his ear to nibble at her earlobe with his strange pointed teeth.

Aubrey's breath was coming quicker and her body started to warm under his touch despite her shaking shoulders. She raised her hands to cup his face for a moment, before one of them slid into his hair, fingernails grazing lightly over the ridge that used to pass for an ear. "Let's hope not..."

Using her to keep himself up with his lack of crutches, he led her back over the rocks to lay her down on the wet and slimy inlet. His arms slid and coiled, suckers tugging at her skin, sensitive tentacle tips exploring inside her wet shirt. After his practice with Antony, he was able to snap the catch to her brasire this time without much trouble. "He won' find out. An' so wha' if he does?"

She squirmed a bit under his touch, though out of nervous excitement rather than disgust. "If he does... well I'm not as eager as you perhaps to throw my life away..." She stopped herself from that train of thought, it was certainly not helping the situation. She was in too far by now. Moreau couldn't know...could he? She knew the cameras didn't reach here... at best he could figure out she met with Billy, right? That wasn't so bad... she could always just say they talked. She could face the repercussions from that. "It doesn't matter...he won't find out," she finally said, pulling him back in for another kiss..

"I'll show y'wha' love really feels li'," He chuckled, tentacles tightening around her in a thourough, groping squeeze as his lips returned to her's, "Ferget aboo' him."

"Your confidence is intriguing... " she said around a small moan. She nodded, though it was a lie. She could get Moreau out of her head, at least for the moment. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, letting the feel of his touch distract her away from less pleasant thoughts.


The tide had begun to come in a bit by the time the two found a stopping point, laying entangled with eachother half in the water. Ink was still dripping from Billy's beard from the excertion as he panted, his head nestled quite contentedly between the scientist's bouxom chest.

Aubrey lay there, breathing heavily through her nostrils. Her fingers twirled absentmindedly through his hair as she stared into the roaring pour of the waterfall, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened. Her hair was soaked from water and sweat and plastered against her face, neck and shoulders. She skin was splattered with ink stains and rows of tell-tale suction marks from the tryst and her mind, though reeling, was finding no easy way to explain them away.

She got her breath back quickly enough to speak, but she opened her mouth and nothing came out into several minutes later. "I have to get going before he realizes where I am." .

He kissed her neck, limbs sliding around her, "When will I see y'again?"

She swallowed, hoping there would be a chance for again. No, there she was being paranoid again...he couldn't know. This would be okay... somehow.

Oh my god...what did I just do....

She swallowed a wave of panic and slowly started to sit up. "I don't know. I'll have to secure some things... I'll let you know." She planted a kiss on his forehead before reached over for her clothes, trying to figure the best plan of action.

"It'll all go on me if'n we are caught, y'know."

Aubrey gave a nervous, bitter laugh. "No, I don't think so. Not for this. I'd get my fair share, trust me." She climbed under the falls and went to work trying to rub off the ink. As clean as she was going to get, she got dressed. "But he's not going to find out, so its okay."

Billy watched her silently, sitting on his rock, his mind mulling over many points.

Fully dressed and fussing with her coat to cover any obvious marks, she finally broke her distant, cold demeanor to look back over at him. She gave him a warm smile and came over to him for another lingering kiss. "See you soon," she smiled encouragingly.

He kissed her back, drinking it in eagerly befor letting her go, "By th'way... when is th'wedding schedualed fer?"

Aubrey gave another bitter snort. "Haven't set a date.."

At that, Billy grinned, "He got commitment issues?"

"He's probably saving it for our next big blowout."

At that, the octopus man laughed. "G'bye, Doc."

Aubrey forced one last quick smile before heading back out towards the trail, her mind trying to come up with some excuse to why she was gone so long.

And Billy sat on the rocks, watching her go. What hurry was he in to go anywhere, afterall?

Reserved for bonfire party with Antony and Kaveri

You awaken to a sharp sting in both your arm, and your butt. You reach back to check on it, but almost before you can You feel your legs begin to give out. You slip down to your butt, and even as you watch the bones that seem to define your legs seem to dissolve away, leaving only flexible tentacles behind where once you had vaguely human legs still. Your upper body grows a bit but the tentacles aren't strong enough to elevate you by themselves. The chemicals in your body begin to change, turning you pale white as you freak out. Some of your hair falls out, the rest of it also turns completely white as this happens, perhaps from the transformation, perhaps from the shock. It begins to thin as well, your mustache joining it. You feel a sharp pain, as spines begin to push out from your skull, not like any octopus you've ever heard of.

Your skin tints blue, even as another change overcomes you. You feel nose pull back. Even as you shortly realize that your left with nothing but nostrils that are on your face. Hard to breath through, but ones that can be tightened to close underwater. Your gums ache as your front teeth grow larger and longer. Fusing together even as this occurs, though there is still an indention between them that shows where two became one. They sort of curve out, as if it's only the start of their change.

Your skin fades from blue, into red very starkly, as you look at your hands which seem to be changing now, until they are nothing but a tentacle but with an elbow and some bone structure up to the wrist. Your eyes grow rounder and more cepholopodian and your able to see underwater better than you could before. On your neck, you feel gills begin to form, as while they aren't as natural as fully formed gills, they are now completely functional. You feel the ink sack in your body grow and strengthen, though your not sure what your feeling. You'll find though you have more ink, and greater control of it.

Then your body starts shifting colors widely As a tentacle on the right side of your body begins to behave strangely, the sucks dropping off as the top opens up a bit oddly. Even as this is happening, you feel something shrivel and disappear between your legs. Your body now equipped like an Octopus.


Back in the lab Moreau watches on a screen with a smile on his face. Patting the desk where the needle responsible for your transformation and the needle responsible for that last specific transformation reside. A sickening grin on his face. “Remember who your dealing with Mr. Woodrow.” he says as he begins to laugh and laugh and laugh.

Crying over Spilled Ink- Billy changes:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=4984089

With nothing much else to do and in a rather cheery mood, Antony decided to visit Billy. She decided to visit him with a brand new pack of smokes for her to suck on in his small duplex. It was a small satisfaction she hoped to garner.

A quick couple of knocks were performed before she simply opened the door and walked in, "It's me Billy."

The place stank of rotten fish even worse than usual, his tank filled with things he had pulled inside. There were ink stains everywhere, and his crutches lay forgotten in the corner where Aubrey had left them. The octopus man himself, though, was no where to be seen. At least untill she caught a glimpse of movement through the clear sides of te tank.

Antony coughed violently as the smell hit her, and she had to surpress a gag. Jesus she had cleaned it not to long ago, what the ******** had he been doing? The ink stains reminded her of the ones she had to wash from her fur and she frowned deeply. That b***h.

A cigarette was lit within moments. "Billy?" She questioned at the sight of the movement, moving closer to the tank. Why was all that stuff in there?

She couldn't spot him under the water at first, a tangle of sunken pillows and blankets and sheets all intertwound and white under the slightly dirtied water. That was untill she was able to post two round, purple, inhuman eyes staring up at her in silent horror.

Her eyes were wide as she looked over the tank. To put it lightly, it looked disgusting. It wasn't until she had looked into the tank more critically did she notice the eyes, and the emotion, and then, it all clicked. "Oh ********."

Her cigarette was left forgotten to burn between her fingers.

There was a flurry of white limbed movement befor he was gone again, hiding under the debris in the tank like skiddish octopus he was becoming.

She was scared. She couldn't see him and she wasn't prepared to stick her arm in the tank to fish him out. Instead, she swallowed and cleared her throat, "Come on out Billy..."

He stayed perfectly still, as though he was never there. but despite his closed eyes and white skin, his nervious tick betrayed him under the water.

Antony looked around, and found a bit of sheet that was close to the edge and cautiously took a grip of it, tugging it out slowly until she judged her hand to be out of biting distance. "I know you're in there... And I swear I'll find a way to pee in it if you don't come out." Where the confidence was coming from, she didn't know.

He couldn't hear her through the water, but his only half formed gill system needed a break. Finally, he inched his head up, keeping his back to her as his color started to return and he gasped for air, "Leave... me... alone!"

She frowned, and narrowed her eyes, taking a preventative step backwards. "You changed," the squirrel woman said stupidly.

He grunted, tentacles shifting in the tank as he still worked to catch his breath. Above or below the water, it seemed his body wasn't happy with the amount of oxygen it was getting. His skin slowly returned to it's normal lavender, but his hair remained white.

She wasn't brave enough to reach out and touch him, or even to step closer. The cig burned still between her fingers. "When?"

"A... couple days ago..." He weased. With another deep breath, he hcanced turning to face her, clicking his psudo-beak nerviously.*

Unable to stop herself, she gasped and put a hand to her mouth, but not in time to cover her shout, "Holy s**t!" When she was able to calm herself down, she offered him an apologetic glance. She really didn't know what to say.

"I s'pose... octopusses aint... as cute as ... squirrles," He growled bitterly, sinking lower into the water self conciously.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, obviously telling the truth. After an awkward pause, she took a hesitant step forward, "Anything I can help with?"

He lifted a tentacle to brush his sodden limp hair out of his face, the fin between his shoulders and down the back of his head twitching opright befor flattening again, "There shoul' be some fish left in me fridge... if y'coul'... get it fer me..." He managed quietly.

While her tails were busy behind her, she stood still for a moment before nodding and turning to fetch the said fish. She made a face at the smell, but managed to pick up whatever packaging they were in and carry it to the tank.

The man's inner octopus snapped to attention at the growing smell of food, tentacles sliding up to reach out for it wobblingly like an excited animal.

The woman held it out for him, keeping his limbs out of the way as much as possible so that they too wouldn't get snatched.

While her tails were busy behind her, she stood still for a moment before nodding and turning to fetch the said fish. She made a face at the smell, but managed to pick up whatever packaging they were in and carry it to the tank.

The man's inner octopus snapped to attention at the growing smell of food, tentacles sliding up to reach out for it wobblingly like an excited animal.

The woman held it out for him, keeping his limbs out of the way as much as possible so that they too wouldn't get snatched.

He grabbed the fish from the styrofoam, dipping back into the water up to his eyes to rip at it out of sight with his half-formed beak. After he had devoured his "prey", he watched her intently, "Wha' d'ye' want?" He huffed bitterly.

"I came to visit," she said after an intense look of concentration. It took all she had not to gag.

"I aint good fer much," He grunted. "So don' bother askin'."

"I didn't come for a ********," she hissed, grinding her teeth for a moment before continuing, "You have the Doc for that, aye."

At that, he gave a sharp, bitter laugh, turning his back to her, his spines standing on end.

"Should I just leave then?" She really didn't want to have to play this depressing game again.

He was quiet, mulling things over in his head. The octopus wanted to be left alone. Billy himself was not a loner. It really had been the creature growing inside him, but how many people had actually known him well enough to make that distinction? No one. Not even Antony. They just knew who they had met on teh island. "I don' want y't'leave," he finally managed quietly.

Antony sighed and ran her cigarette free hand over her face for a moment before nodding, "Okay then... What can I do?"

He shook his head, "I don' know," He took another few breaths of water befor sitting up again, "Help me out? We can... sit on th'couch if it's more comfortable fer ye..." He was sick of the tank. It was such a difficult task to relocate, and he was bored of being in the same place. He needed a change of scenery badly. Truthfully, he needed out of the house. His rock by the lake was looking more and more homey than this. Maybe he'd have Antony help him get there... just live in the lake from now on. It would be easier and more comfortable...

She swallowed too, and nodded again. Taking a step towards the tank, she opened her arms out as if offering to hug him, but was very well prepared to carry him as he had requested. "I'll try my best."

Keeping his head bowed so she didn't ahve to looka t his face, he shifted, wrapping his tentacles and tentacle arms around her arms so she could help lift him out. After loosing so many bones, he was a lot lighter than he should have been.

Lifting him, she managed to discard the smoke into the tank before his tentacles got burned. With a grunt, she lifted, and was unpleasantly surprised at his weight change.

Instead of his previously weak legs, she was greeted by his four lower tentacles that pushed at thesides of the tank in a lame attempt to help.

Antony didn't have too much trouble thanks to the added balance her tails gave her, and with a sturdy grip, she managed to carry him over to the couch. It was slow going, but they made it and she set him down carefully.

He said nothing as he was placed down, limbs worming over the cusions as he laid back, still unable to hold himself upright.

The squirrel woman sat down next to him, and after a moment, she patted her lap as an invitation for comfort. It would only be offered once.

He glanced over, wondering what she meant by the pat. Lay hsi head down? Sit on her lap like a child?

"C'mere," she said softly, motioning for him again by opening her arms in a 'want a hug?' gesture.

Tentacles fidgeting, he flattened his fin, dragging himself closer to her. He remembered her face when it had still been fairly human. Beofr the mask of furr and squirrelish features had overtaken it, turned her hair white and burried her tatoos in a blanket of furr. At least she was something relitively cute. At least Moreau had granted her that.

Antony swallowed back the fish smell and carefully pulled him into a hug much as one would comfort a child who just lost its first pet. She didn't say everything would be okay, in fact, she said nothing, and simply hugged him to her, carefully resting her chin on his wet hair.

It was a few moments befor Billy meekly slipped his four tentacle arms around her, the four tentacle legs worming about trying to find something to cling to, settling at least for a couple of her tails gently. After a long while of silence, he finally managed to speak up, "I t'ink wha' e'er was goin' on b'tween her an' me's over."

She nodded against the damp hair silently, "Should I be sorry?" Hopefully, he didn't want too much pity on that subject. For some reason Antony was rather cheered by that news.

"I s'pose tha's th'end o' me chances a' anyt'in on this feckin' shitehole, aint it?" He shook his head, burrying his face in her chest. There was nothing like a woman's chest to help distract from the worries fo the world. "Tha' b*****d saw t'tha'. He did it on purpose, I know he did."

"Well, did you expect him to just bend over and take it?" She asked softly, not trying to be mean, but she couldn't help being blunt. "I don't know if it is Billy..." That topic rather made her uneasy, but she put that emotion aside for now.

"Th'nigh' I changed," He glanced up, needing to talk about it to someone. Someone who wasn't Aubrey. Someone who- well, was involved. "There was two injection marks."

"Two?" She leaned back, looking rather terrified. This had to be added revenge.

He raised a specific tentacle, drawing in a shallow, shuddering breath, "I aint... human no more. Waiste down, I mean. At all."

Antony fell silent, and simply eyed the tentacle with a blank sort of expression. "Holy. s**t. Please tell me that's not ...IT."

"Nothin' bu' suckers down below me skirts," He gave a manic sort of laugh that seemed out of place compaired to her preivously meloncolly demenor. "So's I understand if'n y'aren't turnin' t'me no more as yer emergency backup. No' tha' me drive's any different. Feckin' b*****d."

"It's um..." She trailed off, unable to find the words, before finally making a rather strange comment. "For certain... No more head..." Frowning for a moment, Antony soon sighed and shook her head some before pressing a tenative kiss to his forehead. Nothing sexual in the least, but it had cheered him up at least once before...

At the touch, his spines tensed again, standing upright and quivering as he gave a frustrated sigh, "Don' go' e'en a bloody pelvis no more, let alone legs... Wha'm I gonna do?"*

She jerked back as the spines moved in what she took to be a disapproving gesture. "I... I honestly don't know Billy," she whispered.

"Go t'th'lake, I s'pose. I coul' a'least swim there. Go'... sort o' gills now, I t'ink. These holes in me head where me ears were, anyway... Bu' don' know how I'd get there."

"I couldn't carry you that far myself," she admitted with a frown, tails twitching per usual behind her, even the 'captured' ones.

"Feckin' hell," He shook his head, 'I actually want t'go t'tha' bloody lake."

She didn't look very pleased, but she stayed silent, simply hugging him to her a little more tightly.

"Somehow I doubt th'labs'll help me out. Ye'd t'ink they woul' ha' sent a wheelchair o' somethin'."

"Not if the man in charge wishes to cause you as much pain as possible."

He gave a bitter grunt, "Well he feckin' won. He shoul' be happy. Know o' anyone who'd help out? No' tha' anyone on this feckin' island actually would volunteer t'help me or nothin'."

She thought on it for a bit. "Yeah... Rex possibly..."

"Rex..." He knew a rex, didn't he? It had been ages- "He's mates wit' tha' blonde lad wha' looks like a gel, aye?"

"Um... I think so? Anyways, he's strong and a do gooder, really."

"Don' know wha' I coul' do fer him," He grunted, "Bu' I'm sick o' this same bloody tank."

"He's a nice guy who likes to help," she stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm goin' mad, Antony. I can't think straight."

"Let me help," she said after a long silence.

"Ye'll get me me legs back?" He grumbled miserably. "I cannae e'en sit up on me own."

"If I could..." She shook her head, "But you know I can't."

"Then wha' d'ye propose?"

"That you think of something I can actually -do- to help."

"I coul' bu' I don' think ye'd be interested. Le's keep it a' help me get t'the lake, and we'll go from there, eh?" He gave her a bitter, half-beaked grin.

Again, she frowned and would have moved to rub her face with her hand had they not been tied up. "I could... Try? If it'd cheer you up..." Ew ew EW.

He caught her look, his smile never fading although he did look away from her face, "I want a feckin' cigarette."

"I'm not letting you get buzzed down."

"It woul'n' e'en make it to me mouth."

"I know. You showed us remember?" She frowned, and leaned back on the couch to be a bit more comfortable, carefully pulling him against her should he allow it.

He let her, happy for her warmth and feminan softness.

Antony sighed, once again troubled with various thoughts.

Billy didn't move, although his weasing was getting worse. He gulped for air from his mouth and the holes on either side of his head, tiny, pin-point nostrils flairing as his cheak spasmed in his nervious twitch.

Her tails swished and curled around his limbs, and she gave him a worried look, "Do you want me to help you back to your tank?"

"Jes... A few... more minutes..." He panted, "I'll be... fine..."

It was obvious that she was concerned, and she fidgetted a bit, glancing over to his tank. "Okay."

"Still... go'... some lungs left..."

She shushed him softly, absently relaxing a little bit more underneath him.

His specific tentacle brushed against her and he gave a mournfull noise in the back of his throat, "Fine. Fine... back... in th'... in th'tank..." He panted.

The noise caused her to arch an eyebrow, trying to hid a rather disturbed expression at the brushing. "Alright," she murmured, once again lifting him up and transporting him over to the tank.

He slid in with a relieved noise, dropping under the water to satisfy his gills untill his lungs began to complain again and he was forced to resurface.

She leaned against the tank's edge, simply watching him for the time being.

"So ye'll see aboo'... findin' me help, then? Gettin' me t'th'lake?"

"Yeah, I will... Do you want me to do that right this instant?"

"Wha'... li'... ge' me there now?" He arched an eyebrow.

"I don't know, maybe?"

Antony ignored him, not seeing his mood swing, but instead pressed the number for Rex's duplex.

With a grunt and a moan Rex pulled himself from his bed after an afternoon catnap. He fumbled yawning to the buzzer on the wall and pushed the button, answering with a drowsy "Hello?"

"Hey Rex?" She said cheerily, or at least, as cheery as she could muster, "I need your help."

The voice of the squirrel on the other side of the line pulled Rex from his sleepy haze, "Oh, whats up Ant? What do you need help for?" He released the button and yawned once more, trying to fully wake up.

Antony smiled, even though he couldn't see her, "Could you come to duplex 33 for me?"

"Um, sure! I'll be right over." Rex slipped on a shirt, washed his face and wandered over to the bottom floor of the Duplex next door.

The number rang a bell distantly in his mind, but he couldn't place it. He opened the door and prodded a head inside, "Helloo?" He called, making sure it was the right duplex.

Since she was the only mobile one in the room, she opened the door further for Rex.

Rex walked in further, "Heh, thanks..ohh..." his eyes fell on the tank with the assorted sheets and other things inside. "Uh, what did you need help with?" He said, giving the tank another quizzical galnce.

"Well... Billy changed and I need to get him to the lake, but..." She gestured to herself before reaching out and giving Rex's bicep a healthy squeeze and then a pat. "I'm not -that- strong."

Rex listened to her little explanation and smiled humbly when he squeezed him. "Ahh, alright." Rex approached the tank, peering inside, "And I'm guessing Billy is in here..."

He hadn't seen the man since his first change, so Rex was curious as to what an octopus would look like at this new stage.

Billy shifted in his tank, the octopus once again taking a hold of the man, his skin having gone white to blend in with the sheets again. He peered up at the potential preditor fearfully, tentacles dug deep under the debris.

Antony simply watched for a moment, staying silent until she joined Rex next to the tank, "Billy, this is Rex and he's going to help you with me."

Rex looked down into the tank, the sudden realization that Billy was there before his eyes caused a silent gasp to slip his lips. Rough change, poor guy.

Rex waved friendily down to the octopus and smiled, "Hey Billy, I don't know if you remember me..."

Through the water, though, all he could hear were the dim sounds of foreign words, and the wavering, water-distorted view of their faces peering down on him. The octopus slipped back further under the blankets and pillows, looking terrified that the big cat was going to scoop a paw down and try to see what his tentacles tasted like.

She sighed, motioning for Rex to stand back for a bit before beckoning Billy while mouthing, "It's okay." This was so strange.

Rex stepped back obediantly, he'd heard loads of stories about post-change aggression. He knew he'd certainly felt it before.

Hesitantly, carefully, the octopus man surfaced just enough for his sopping white hair and trembling spiny fin to poke out of the water, his mantle cavity still sucking at the liquid for oxygen while it could. "..."

"We're going to need something to keep him wet during the trip I think..." She spoke to Rex, but kept her attention on Billy, offering him an encouraging smile.

"I'll get a towel." Rex walked quickly into the bathroom, still slightly dumbfounded by the sight he just saw. He grabbed the nearest bath towel, figuring that the man wouldn't ever have to use one of these again.

He threw it into the bathtub and soaked it with water then brought it back to the tank. "Anything else?"

With a few blinks, Billy seemed as though he were starting to come back to himself, his nervious twitch returning as he slowly lifted his head out of the water enough to switch to his lungs rather than his internal gills, "Aint seen y'... in a long while, lad. Nice hair." He panted gruffly.

A thankful look passed from Antony to Rex before she turned back to Billy.

The squirrel woman looked generally relieved that they didn't have to do something that involved being inked. "Do you think a wet towel will due for the trip?"

Rex smiled deeply when the man spoke from his little watery tank. He ws glad to see that there was still some humanity left in the slippery body.

Rex chuckled and ran his hand through his bedhead, "Heh, thanks" Unfortunately Rex couldn't say the same to Billy.

The octopus man gave a gurgling noise, dipping down into the water again, his tentacles fidgeting anxiously around him. His color returned in splotches and they could see his suckers clinging to the sides of the tank. It was difficult to remind the octopus that he was on his way to a much bigger amount of water, the cepholopod in his head refusing to go out on dry land where his body was practically useless.

"Fine, fine, it'll be fine!" he snarled, looking anxious.

Her tongue clicked against the back of her teeth, but she gestured for Rex to do his manly hefting. "Then let us get on with this."

Rex swallowed his lurking anxeity of being strangled by Billy, he had to trust him as his hands dipped down into the water to scoop up the splotched man in his grip.

"Get comfortable bud," Rex strained to say, "Thankfully the lake isn't far."

Billy spasmed, looking frantic and paniced for a moemnt, tentacles wrapping around Rex's limbs in a frantic gesture, his cepholopodian eyes widening.

Antony waited until Rex had a good grip on Billy before laying the towel over the octoman.

"Good stuff, let's get t'moving." Rex gently made a move for the door, ignoring the suckers pulling at the fur on his arms and shoulders. He kicked the door open with his foot and headed out the door. "How're you doin', Billy?"

The octopus man was hyperventilating, eyes locked on his vanishing tank. He mad an odd noise, tentacles shfiting and trying to break free of the bundle of the towel, slapping at and squeezing at Rex's limbs like a frightened, wild animal.

She had the sense to grab and pocket Billy's keys before following suite and shutting the duplex door behind her. Catching up to them, she offered a hand to one of Billy's arm tentacles. "Just talk to me Billy.

Do you want me to light myself a smoke?" The second comment was an afterthought, but she was sure Billy would appreciate a bit of second hand smoke right now.

Deep down, Rex rumbled about smoking. He had a sort of grudge against cigarettes from his childhood. Even though the woman they took didn't love him, she was still his mom.

But he just ignored it, maybe it'd soothe the flailing Billy at least a little bit. In the meantime, the least he could do was keep walking and avoid being smacked in the face with a tentacle.

The word "Cigarette" seemed to snap the octopus man back into his own head, the flailing stopping as he blinked at her. He gave a groan, "I want a feckin' cigarette... tha'.... go' damn b*****d..."

She gave an apologetic look to Rex before she managed to light herself one. Taking a long, healthy drag, she exhaled as off to the side as she could to keep it from looking like she was blowing it in Billy's face.

"Better than nothing?" She asked quietly.

Rex nodded back to Antony and exhaled from his nostrils to keep the smell as dilluded as possible. He could deal. Rex was just happy that Billy calmed down.

He hoisted the slippery body up farther like a baby and sighed, his muscles slowly wearing down. "We're gettin' there soon!"

"Jes'... jes' a puff... maybe he aint watchin'... maybe he aint... " Billy stretched a tentacle, trying to grab the smoke desperatly.

She kept it out of reach, "I'm sure he's watching like a hawk." Experimentally, she exhaled the next drag directly at Billy. "They buzz him down if he touches anything... Smokes, alcohol, etc."

The explanation was for Rex, obviously.

Rex was appreciative of the explanation, though his eyes widened at the consequences. "Yeesh, that's no good." Especially because I'm holding him. "Sorry Billy, looks like you've got to keep it down to enjoying the smoke."

Rex sighed, filtering out as much of the smoke as he could and readjusting his grip on the octopus.

Billy's expression trembled befor his chemically imbalanced emotions took hold and his mood swang for the worst, tears sliding down his slimy face to wet his beard, "It aint FAIR! It aint FAIR tha' god damn feckin' b*****d SHE CHOSE YOU, Y'bloody man-c**t!!" He screamed as though Moreau could hear him.

Antony jumped back, squirrel instincts taking over for a bit as she stood utterly still, as if that would keep the predators from her.

Rex's head jerked to the side as Billy wailed wildly in his ear like an obnoxious parrot. He was obviously missing some past drama.

The octopus fell silent, busying himself gasping for air. Water. He needed fresh water. Water befor smokes. Water his new addiction. Lovely. ******** lovely.

"How close are we?" She managed to squeak out moments later as she caught up to the pair again.

"I don't think its far, just a few more duplexes away." It was good that the lake was literally right next to the village. Rex could smell the distant scent of water slowly approaching as they continued their dirge.

Billy was weasing harder, desperatly gasping at the air, his skin going greyer in his exhaustion. The distant, feral look had returned to him and he nibbled at the towel as though he could suck the water straight from it.

"Best hurry," she commented, frowning at Billy's appearance.

"Good idea," Rex said nervously, picking the pace up to a gentle jog. He tried his hardest not to jostle Billy in the process, but the guy was going to suffocate if he stayed outside much longer.

The lake was in view through the trees. "Almost there." Rex panted.

The closer they got to the sounds of water, Billy wormed and wriggled more desperatly, his tentacles tiwtching where they were wrapped around Rex's limbs, some sliding around to try to reach for it, attempting to squirm away from the offending lion man.

Antony kept up with the two of them, jogging as well.

There, the lake was but 100 feet away and now Rex was practically running to get the fragile frantic man into the cool water. He felt constricted by the man he was excorting, but also didn't want him flopping onto the ground.

"Here we go!" Rex yelled, feigning cheer over the writhing mass in his clutch. Rex ran into the shallow waters and released Billy into the murk.

THe octopus promptly turned, half-formed beak widened to squirt a jet of ink into the lion's face befor he dipped under the water, quickly slipping from view. It seemed as useless and clumsy as his body had been above water, underwater, it was far more functional.

Luckily, Antony had decided not to run and arrived at the lake less than a minute later, so she had no part of the inking on her nice, white fur. "Ew," she commented as she tried not to laugh at Rex.

Rex was relieved to left Billy go before SHPLAT in the face, all he could see was a nasty mixture of black and the smell of fish. "Yeuughhhh!" He yelled before leaning into the water to wash off as much of the ink as possible.

He knew he needed a shower, but that was just rediculous. Rex coughed and spit up some ink that had gotten into his mouth. "Ugh, gosh. You're welcome, Billy."

Rex said ruefully, trudging back to the shore and pointing at Antony, "Not a word."

She covered her muzzle with a hand so that he couldn't see her snickering, "Don't worry, I'm sure he's thankful... He's just cranky." Clearing her throat, she simply grinned moments later before gesturing him to follow her. "I know how to get his ink out of fur," she offered.

"Yeah, I bet you're right. I would be too." He said, turning back to the lake to wave off Billy, "Have fun out here, bud."

"And do you think you could help me with this then?" He chuckled and pulled as the ink left in his beard. "This is pretty disgusting..."

"Imagine it on white fur," she grumbled, tails swishing behind her as she made her way back on the small path in the jungle. It was best left unsaid the nature she had gotten said ink stains.

Rex turned to start his way into the village. "Well, did it all come out?" He sure hoped it didn't stain.

"Eventually, I had gray splotches for a while though... But that's probably because I'm pale as hell."

"Could be... ahh well.." Rex sighed, arms falling to his sides. "Do you have the stuff you need at your place?"

"Yeah, but sadly... I have no towels, so you'll just have to air dry naked on the couch," she teased, chuckling before offering an equally playful smirk. For the most part, she was joking.

Rex laughed nervously, trying to supress the lion inside from getting too excited. Rex had expelled him from his mind, it was too difficult to let him run rampant.

But he couldn't just tell Ant 'Hey! Don't talk about sexual stuff. I can't handle with that right now.' It just didn't work that way.

"Dude, don't worry... I have towels," she raised an eyebrow at him, but soon turned to face foreward once more and continue to the village quietly.

Aubrey stood in the doorframe, letting Ein do his business. It was a fairy lovely day on the island, and Aubrey wondered to herself how safe it would be to go to the beach. She was bored out of her skull, there was still no sign from Moreau as to her fate, and Ambrose had returned and all the lovey-dovey stuff between him and Angelina was starting to get to her.

Something was tacked to the door, she noticed after a moment, and she pulled it off and took a look. It took her a moment to decipher the barely legible handwriting.. but when she did all the color in her face drained away.

She just stood there, staring. For several moments, just reading the short message over and over.

You've got to be ******** kidding me...

At first she just tried to ignore the note. She had said her goodbye and going back would only place her back on thin ice.

Right?

But she couldn't just let it drop. Those horrible horrible words. The three most cliché words in the history of the world. Did he mean that? He couldn't... could he? What would mean if he did?

It was dusk before Aubrey finally couldn't take it anymore. She slipped out of her duplex while Ambrose and Angelina were out getting food. A thought occurred to her on her way out the village - and she went by the commons to get a wheelchair from Delia. Aubrey knew he couldn't walk anymore outside of water, which is why she had to keep herself was the only reason he was making her coming to him.

Billy, meanwhile, remained oblivious to Sabin's addition to his note, nor to Aubrey presently making her way over. He crawled along the bottom of the lake, still learning how to "walk" with his new tentacle legs, sliding the front two forward, slithering the rear two forward as well, then repeating the odd shuffle. It helped to pull himself along with his top front tentacles as well, his lower half still not strong enough to keep him upright, even under water. After a while of crawling about and some somewhat successfull fishing, the octopus man's deformed respiratory system couldn't keep up with his half formed gills, and needed to give his shrunken lungs a try again.

He surfaced with the fish clenched tightly in his psudo beak.

Billy would surface to find Aubrey sitting near the shore, knees pulled up to her chest and a wheelchair propped beside her. She jumped a bit at Billy broke from the water's surface, but quickly tried to recover and gave a small, weak wave. In her left hand, she clutched a worn piece of paper.

The spiny fin growing from his hair straightened in his own suprise as he spotted her, but took the time to eat his fish at a distance befor he dipped under the water and swam closer, leaving the carcass behind. Finally, he surfaced again, keeping his head low even as he tried to straighten himself a bit in the shallows, his voice hoarse and gravely from misuse, "Hoy."

Aubrey looked shakey and pale in the fading daylight. She nodded to him as she greeted her. She had no idea where to start. "I brought this," she said after a moment, motioning to the chair. "Maybe you can use it.. you know for emergencies or whatever.. it might help," she said quietly.

His eyes darted from her, to the machine and back again befor he murmured an awkward, "Thanks. Glad someone a' least though' o' tha'."

Aubrey held up her hand with the clutched not. "You... wanted to talk...?" Her voice was barely above a whisper..she almost sounded scared

He stayed in the water, his eyes dipping down to watch his tentacles fidget nerviously around what was left of his body. He spotted a stone, picking it up with a couple suckers to pretend to be fascinated with it's smooth surface. "Aye, I s'pose I do."

Aubrey kicked off her shoes and scooted closer to the water's edge. She rolled up her pant legs and slowly lowered her bare feet into the water. She leaned forward and propped her elbows on her knees, watching him closely. Her expression was blank, bordering on pensive as she watched him intently.

He gave a short, quiet, nervious laugh, but it was gone with a quick shake of his head, "Ferstly, I been bloody hatin' bein' sober. Jes' lettin' y'know tha'."

Aubrey gave a slow nod. "Sucks having to face reality sometimes."

Billy's familiar nervious tick flaired up, and water slid down his blue, noseless face from his white scraggly hair like sweat as he cleared his throat pointedly, "Th'thing is, I been doin' a lot o' thinkin'... when I been able t'think," The laugh returned and his eyes flickered up to her, "Reality's questionable when yer find yerself more tentacled seamonster than human." Smile and tick.

"Okay, I'll give you that, Billy." Aubrey extended her leg in the water, feeling it over her skin. It was hard to explain...how lake water felt different from ocean water that felt different than pool or bath water. It was probably mostly subconscious or psycosamatic. The lake water felt earthy... luke warm and void of any chemical smell.

She sighed and avoided looking directly in his eyes. "Thinkin' about ... what you said in the note?"

He wasn't quite sure what she meant, but shook his head wearily, "Obviously."

Aubrey was silent for a moment, staring into the water. "Go on." She had to know if there was more. If he meant it... how, or why.. something.

"I jes' had some t'ings t'say, is all. Ye go an' do wha' y'want t'do. I aint stoppin' ye. Jes' got me peace t'say."

Aubrey swallowed and nodded. "I... I'm listening..."

"I admit. Me first thoughts had been of revenge for Moreau..." He said it slowly, drawing in short, deep breaths befor he dipped his head down to take a few gulps of water with the appropriate oraphice. His fin shifted befor laying flat against his wet head, "Bu' it aint tha' no more. It aint."

"What is it now, exactly," she said towards her lap, her fingers coming to her hair and twirling her curls around a finger nervously. "And...when exactly did it change?"

"I don' know an' I don' know! Bu' I'm obviously alone in tha', regardless."

"You don't know?" Aubrey gave a frustrated sound. "Then why'd you write this?" She shook the flimsy peice of paper at him.

"I aint finished yet!" He snapped, "Y'keep badgerin' me, an' here I am tryin' t'be serious an' mature aboo' all this crap!"

Aubrey took a huge breath and closed her eyes, calming herself. "OKay, I'm sorry. Go on."

"Y'remind me a lo' of her. Y'know who." He anxiously ran a dark colored tongue over the protusion f his psudo-beak, "It's almost unnervin'. Bu' yer a shiteload different. I know this, seen this, all tha' crap. I though' tha' might ha' been it. But it weren't." Another tick and he shifted to virtually sit in the water, not daring to come closer nor touch her just yet, as much as he would have liked. "I jes' ... couldn' get ye out o' me head. One reason or another. An' so I was stupid an' got me hopes up. There, I said it, an' tha's that, then."

"So you're not in love with me,,, you're still in love Edel." Aubrey couldn't tell if she should be releived or dissapointed, so her inflection was an odd and detatched. "At least that's how it started... but you kept feeling that way even though I'm a lot different than her...?" Aubrey unfolded the note and read over it with a sigh, trying to sort out her emotions.

"No, I'm sayin' I though' tha' might ha' been it. Bu' if anythin', tha' jes' made me angry evertime I saw ye. Bu' it don', I mean... Shite," He sighed, rubbing his eyes with the tip of a tentacle, "If y'want t'put it tha' way, aye. Bu' I aint in love wit' Edel. I want t'find her an' cut her heart out an' feed it t'me dogs. So far's I know, y'aint done nothin' t'me tha' aint Big Red's indirect or direct doin'."

Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose. "This wasn't susposed to happen," she said, though it seemed to be mostly to herself.

"An' wha' did ye expect t'happen?" He huffed, skin splotching with red, "Wha' does tha' make me??"

"Friends, I guess." Aubrey chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I'm not sure. I wasn't exactly thinking when ... you know." She kicked the water. "I mean, yeah, I half expected you only did it because you wanted to hurt Moreau. You needed that satification.. that ego boost. I figured that, plus, I dunno... that sexual tenstion mixed with frustration and a bit of desperation. You're a guy. I'm a woman and I was willing... I didn't think it wouldn't take much more than that for you!"

"Yer one o' the TWO women who've shown me interest on this damn hell hole, an' th'only one I PERSONALLY am attracted to! An' I am! An' no' jes' looks! Me... taste o' tha's been a wee bi' skewed lately, regardless..." He didn't need to get into the details of his urges to shove his tentacles in mantle cavities that they don't belong and leave little cepholopodian packages in hopes of getting eggs in return. "Bu' tha' don' matter! Wha' bloody matters is tha' I get this all off me chest while I still got a chest fer things t'come off of. I jes' wanted y'to know... I think I woul' ha' been happy. I th'ink y'would ha' been, too."

"We couldn't have been, Billy..." she said after a moment, blinking back guilty tears, "We were never an option. Moreau...he... he wouldn't have allowed it. No matter what. I'd be a subject and you'd be... I'm not sure. Nonmorphic, probably. Just a mindless animal with no ability for human emotion or feeling. Just living off impulse and instinct! That's the best case scenario... " She shifted and looked away. "If that's any consolation..." she added as an afterthought.

"Th'funny thing is, I wouldn' care. b***h on me, then, aint it? Probably be a lo' simpler than all this."

"Probably. But then where would that leave me?" She pulled her feet out of the water and pressed her knees back to her chest. "So its better this way."

"I was stupid fer hopin' y'would." He ticked again, lips pursed as best he could with the toothy protrusion in the way. "If he really loved ye like y'say he does... I though' maybe he'd jes' let y'be happy."

"I can't be happy here," she mumbled into her lap and she dropped her head to rest on her hands. "I'm bored. I want to work. I don't want to be a subject! I... I want children, Billy..."

He dissappeared under the water, creeping through the shallows to gently slither a couple limbs around her feet and ankles.

He looked up after a moment, tears streaked down her face. SHe didn't want to face him, but she knew there was no avioding it. She couldn't run away from this.

His limbs snaked their way around her legs up towards her thighs, pulling him up to rest his head against her knees.

"I'm so sorry," she squeaked out, reaching out to run her fingers though what was left of his hair. "I never meant to hurt you."

The fin straightened and flattened as his tentacles grew steadily more invasive, most creeping up to cling to her or feel it's way around her, "One more time, then? Jes' once more... an' we'll ne'er talk again. I'll ne'er see ye again, nothin'."

Aubrey reached out and grabbed one of his tentacles. "He's watching," Aubrey warned. "We can't."

"Ye'll explain!" He begged, other limbs worming in where the one had been stopped, as though he was desperate to touch her with all eight limbs at once.

"Why are you doing this to me, Billy?" she whined, pushing back further onto the ground. "I said we can't.."

"This is all aboo' you!! Wha' aboo' ME? Wha' aboo' wha' I'm feelin' an' wantin' and wishin'?? NO, y'DON' give a crap, an' I KNOW y'don'!" He gave a hiss through his beak-like teeth, a specific tentacle worming it's way towards where it wasn't welcomed, while he rolled backward to drag her into the water with him.

"Hey!" she shrieked. Her hands both went to the invasive tentacle, pulling it back hard. "******** you," she hissed back at his anger. "I'm thinkini about both of us but its MY LIFE on the line here. You might not give a damn what happens to you but I'm not willing to give up my entire life for a one ******** mistake I made!"

Her balance already being off trying to get Billy's tentacles away from her pants made it easy to pull her back into the water. She jerked forward with a splash. "Ack, no! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Tick. He had her down. Tick. He had tentacles around her wrists, thighs and throat. Tick. He gave her a squeeze. "Yer too good fer me, tha's it," His spines were on end, sharp and taught. "I 'spose yer right!" He was angry. It had been months since his last real fight. He was frail and weak and bitter and nasty, but he was betrayed and his new limbs were very good at squeezing.

It wasn't but a few moments after Aubrey hit the water that the familiar tingle hit the back of Billy's neck. Billy was out before he could barely finish his words. Aubrey struggled to tangle herself away from his limbs scrambling back out of the lake in a panic.

Billy awoke sometime later under water, his limbs numbly streaming in the current. He managed to roll over and crawl back to shore, coughing and sputtering what water he had accidentally inhailed. But Aubrey was no where to be seen. He crawled a bit, as far as he could on land, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but he must have been out at least long enough for her to have gotten away. On his way back to the water, he spotted the wheelchair she had left. Timidly, he managed to crawl his way up onto the seat, where he curled up to sit seemingly in deep thought untill he got too dry and had to return to the water. Sabin was insane. There was no way she'd ever have given him a chance.

reserved for run in with Amaya